(☀) i never freeze

All one x one role-plays go here.
Post Reply
User avatar
76heart
Site Admin
Posts: 345
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2018 8:19 pm
Location: winterfell

(☀) i never freeze

Post by 76heart » Thu May 17, 2018 5:59 am

Image
Image
Image
━━━━━━━━━━━ b                  y ━━━
Image━━━;;━━
━━━━━━━l      i      k      e            a━
Image
Image━━━━━━━━━;;━
Image















Image
Image
Image━━━;━━━
━━━━━━i'm  lost in━━
Image
Image
this is yet another one x one between
myself and the wonderful iris, please
do not post unless you're one of us!
featuring celesse & t'challa + rashka
Image
━━━━━Image
Image
━━i'm  lost in━━━━━━
━━━━━━;;━━━━Image
Image━━━━━
Image














Image
━━━━i       c    a    n    '    t━━━━━
Image
━l     i     k     e              a━━━━━━━
Image
━━━━━━Image
Image
Image

Iris
Lovely Friend
Posts: 205
Joined: Mon May 14, 2018 12:50 pm

from the shadows | t'challa | i

Post by Iris » Mon Jun 11, 2018 10:45 pm

Image
xxImage
King T'Chaka was dead. For most people around the world, that sentiment meant nothing. Most people around the world weren't even aware of his existence, much less the country that he had ruled. Why would they? Wakanda was nothing, it was just a spot to be brushed over on the map of the African continent. It was one of the poorest countries in the entirety of the world, fortified by mountain ranges and an impenetrable rainforest. It was a poor country of farmers living in third world conditions, yet refused to engage in international trade or even accept foreign aid. Why would the world concern themselves with such a lost cause of a country, much less the death of it's monarch? Of course, his death had been covered to some degree on major news networks, but that was only the result of how he had died. It had been so shocking, a manhunt known around the world. After all, it wasn't every day that a terrorist dared to have the audacity to attack a United Nations building, much less during an event as significant as the ratification of the Sokovia Accords. Had he not died in such a public manner in Vienna, but rather of old age at home in Wakanda, the odds that the event would even be broadcast at all among the mainstream media outlets was questionable. Even considering the public way he died, he would soon be forgotten by almost all around the world, even those few who knew of him while he still drew breath. King T'Chaka was dead, but the suspect in his death was captured, and everything that had happened within the following days was settled, at least for the most part. At least, that was what the general public knew of the events that had unfolded within the last days.

If the late King T'Chaka was largely unknown to the world, Prince T'Challa was even more unknown. Certainly, intelligence circles knew that he had become a bit of an astounding vigilante in his search for James Barnes after the attack at the UN, but that was all they knew, and even the general public didn't know that much. Certain scholars might know him as the eldest of the king's two children, maybe even being able to recognize him from a picture and go as far as knowing that he had studied at Oxford University at quite a young age, earning his PHD in physics from the university before returning home to Wakanda. Now, some might have heard his name again after the death of his father, occasionally mentioned as the man who people assumed would get the throne after his return back home to Wakanda. Of course, the knowledge of the public, of scholars, and even of the most knowledgeable within the international intelligence circles didn't know much about Prince T'Challa. It might be assumed that the young heir to the Wakandan throne would take the anonymity attributed to his name as an insult, but nothing could be further from the truth. After all, everything that was known about his family and his people, and everything that wasn't- it was all by careful design. It wasn't an insult to his ego, he wasn't that fragile. Rather, that anonymity was one of his people's greatest achievements. The world saw a carefully orchestrated illusion of Wakanda, a country basking in the freedom of the shadow it's facade granted them. To most of the world, T'Challa was no one, and that was exactly how he wanted it.

T'Challa would be a king soon, if all went as he knew it should, returning how to face his mother and sister after the loss of T'Chaka. It was take a lie to claim that the young man wasn't eager to get on with it; it wasn't necessarily the power of officially obtaining the crown that called to him, as he had never exactly experienced life in a powerless position from a large-picture standpoint, but rather returning home to his people. He hadn't been gone long, but so much had changed since he had left. Video calls with his mother, Shuri, and advisers had told him that they were all holding up alright, but T'Challa still knew that he was needed back at home. He couldn't go back there quite yet, though, he had business to attend to first, and that business was about as unlikely as it could possibly be. Even just twelve hours earlier, the thought alone of this next mission would have been absolutely laughable. James Barnes was thought to have been the one responsible for the attack at the U.N., the murderer of King T'Chaka among others. The need for vengeance had consumed T'Challa, and he would have done absolutely anything to bring the Winter Soldier to justice in Wakanda, by any means necessary. He had followed the man and his protector all the way to Siberia in an attempt to seek out vengeance, but then everything had changed. T'Challa had learned that Bucky wasn't responsible for the death of his father, that instead it had been a Sokovian man looking to bring justice to those who he blamed for the death of his beloved family. T'Challa was even granted the opportunity to kill his father's true murderer, the man called Zemo, but the heir to Wakanda took another path, even stopping the man from committing suicide. T'Challa was done allowing vengeance to consume him as it had so many others, the young prince refusing to allow the need for vengeance to consume him any longer. So, instead of killing the man or allow him to be successful in the attempt to end his life himself, T'Challa had stopped him, allowing for others to seek justice in a more honorable and civil way.

The future king decided against even claiming the honor or satisfaction that bringing Zemo in to the authorities in Austria would have provided, choosing instead to entrust him in to the custody of the distraught American billionaire, Tony Stark. The Iron Man left Siberia soon after with his prisoner, and although T'Challa had every intention of returning home straight from Siberia then, he was approached by Captain America before he even left the facility. The world would be on the lookout for all of the Avengers that had fought to keep Bucky out of custody, refusing to sign the Sokovia Accords. No place would be safe for any of them, most of them already incarcerated, and with the programming still in Bucky and the eyes of the world searching for him, he was in the most danger. Of course, Steve didn't know exactly what he was asking. He knew that T'Challa was more than just a future monarch and that due to the suit he wore, Wakanda must have been much more than the world knew it to be. He also knew T'Challa to be an honorable man who lived in a closed off nation away from the eyes of the rest of the world who could offer his best pal refuge. T'Challa couldn't bring himself to decline the request for help, even claiming that the scientists in his country would be able to help fix the devastation that HYDRA had done to his mind. Naturally, Steve had been both thankful and skeptical of the claim, protective of his childhood friend. T'Challa made the assurance that Steve would be welcome to accompany Bucky in to the foreign nation. It was a risk, T'Challa knew, and he was well aware that certain elders within the country wouldn't be fond of T'Challa's choice, but he was willing to take the brunt of that anger if it meant he could help to right the wrong that had been done. With the agreement made and all parties satisfied, the three men had spent the next few hours in the Siberian prison, T'Challa waiting for Okoye to arrive with aircraft that was sufficient enough for them all to travel all the way to Wakanda, with the Wakandan technology necessary to do so while remaining off the grid to even the most advance surveillance systems.

Within just those few hours of waiting, there had been another slight change of plans. Or, rather, an addition to the plans that had already been set in to place. It started with a call from Natasha Romanoff, saying without much detail that their friends from Asgard had offered another solution. They offered to send down a healer from a foreign 'goddess' ' home world. Of course the thought gave all three men pause at first, knowing exactly who's world they would be referring to. Steve was the only one of the three to have personal experience interacting with the woman, but T'Challa and Bucky were far more skeptical, to say the least. While T'Challa hadn't known of any significant damage she had caused, he knew of the devastation her lover had brought upon the world. Granted, it wasn't as if he was allowing entry of those two in to his country, but allowing the entry of someone who could even sort of be linked to either of those two was a risk. It gave T'Challa pause, admittedly, but not for too long before he agreed and the workings of the offer were put in to motion.

Okoye landed not too long after, with T'Challa and the Americans coming outside to meet her. "Sam sikhulu," Okoye greeted formally as she stepped out of the aircraft.

"Ah, Okoye, it has been too long." T'Challa greeted warmly, happy to see another familiar face after all that had happened.

The woman stopped a few feet in front of him, assessing his companions. "Iindumiso zam ukususela, ndithanda ukuba ndibe khona. Ndiyaxolisa ngokulahlekelwa kwakho." She continued in their mother tongue of Xhosa, assured that neither of the other men understood the language. "Uqinisekile malunga nale nto?"

Of course, despite the discretion that the language barrier offered, Okoye made no further attempts to hide the topic of the conversation, even nodding in the direction of the other men as she finished speaking. The question brought a small smile to the edges of T'Challa's lips, thoughtfully looking over his shoulder to the other men before looking back to the warrior in front of him. "Ndingu. U-Shuri uya kuvuya, ndiqinisekile. Wayesoloko ebanga ukuba uyayithanda inselele." It was light humor, which only seemed to make Okoye more concerned for the well-being of the man in front of her. After all, he had just lost his father, and now this? T'Challa could sense the hesitation and skepticism in the loyal woman in front of him. "Oku kuyona ndlela efanelekileyo, Okoye. Kuphela kukhetho kuye, kwaye kuya kwenziwa." He assured her, the tired man giving her a small smile before looking back to his new companions. "If you will excuse me, I think I might change before we leave." He didn't wait for a response before walking past Okoye and in to the privacy of the advanced aircraft. The heir to Wakanda took a moment to gather himself once he was within the confines of the aircraft before looking for the suit he had instructed Okoye to bring. He wanted to rid himself of the black panther suit for now, to be able to introduce himself to the healer and return home presented in a different way. His next tasks wouldn't be as a warrior, they would require a bit more finesse. Once he found the suit, he undressed himself, instead changing in to a well-fitted suit and a tie. It certainly wasn't his preference, but it would suffice. After he was ready, he made his way out on to the steps of the back of the aircraft, casually crossing his arms across his chest and leaning against the metal exterior, staying clean of the frigid temperatures and snow as he waited patiently with the others for the healer to arrive so they all could leave. T'Challa wasn't sure who he was expecting to show up, perhaps an odd old white man like something out of the old American movies his father used to enjoy so much. It didn't really matter, he had to assure himself. Both he and Okoye would make certain that the person seemed suitable to enter Wakanda before they got there, and if they became a threat during their stay, Wakandan technology could take care of it. There wasn't really any way that this could go wrong or work out unexpectedly, and they would be able to ensure Bucky received the care he needed while T'Challa worked to attempt to fill the hole his father's death left in the monarchy.



--

Translations-

Sam sikhulu- My prince
Iindumiso zam ukususela, ndithanda ukuba ndibe khona. Ndiyaxolisa ngokulahlekelwa kwakho.- My sincerest condolences, I only wish I could have been there. I am so sorry for your loss.
Uqinisekile malunga nale nto? - Are you certain about this?
Ndingu. U-Shuri uya kuvuya, ndiqinisekile. Wayesoloko ebanga ukuba uyayithanda inselele.-I am. Shuri will be delighted, I'm sure. She always did claim to love a good challenge.
Oku kuyona ndlela efanelekileyo, Okoye. Kuphela kukhetho kuye, kwaye kuya kwenziwa.- This is the best option, Okoye. The only option for him, and it will be done.

User avatar
76heart
Site Admin
Posts: 345
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2018 8:19 pm
Location: winterfell

(☼) celesse, 001 | can i be close to you?

Post by 76heart » Tue Jun 12, 2018 8:58 pm

Image
ImageImageImage
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
xxxIf someone had told her, only a few days ago, that she would be sent off the planet she had grown up on, she would have expressed interest in doing so while questioning their sanity in the moment they said the statement, but now, that was exactly what was happening, and she was still struggling to wrap her head around it all. How had it all changed so fast? How had this all transpired so quickly? Only a few mere hours ago she had been in the healers' quarters, healing an elven solider that had been injured by one of the giant spiders that plagued their land, stitching the torn skin on his side back together with a spell she knew so well, and now she was standing atop the highest tree in the forest, at the very top of the world, waiting for the Bifrost to take her to the world known as Earth. It was all so much, and she could only hope that she'd have enough time to process it all once she arrived.
xxxEverything had started out close enough to how it normally was at least, so perhaps that was why it was still so hard for her to grasp. Celesse could take in and process a sudden injury or emergency within seconds, though she had grown quite used to that, and to her it was as natural as breathing, while this on the other hand, was incredibly new. It hadn't even been that long ago since the god Loki, the husband and love of Princess Heiley had come to Losmealia and shaken everything up, telling them there were whole other worlds and realms around them, and she still often had to remind herself of that. The elves had known they were not the only planet before of course, but having someone from them magically appear in a blinding burst of light come, and then marry their Princess and take her to the other lands along with him made it even harder to fathom. It had even crossed her mind as she had been trying to sleep the night before as it often did alongside wonderings of what the other planets were like, and if those that inhabited it were good and kind, and what stories and music they had to tell, and for her to now be going to one of those planets felt almost insane. It felt like she was still dreaming, like she hadn't yet woken up and that her sleeping mind decided it would be fun to make her believe on of the fantasies she pondered upon had become real. She knew this was reality though, and not some dream, it was too crazy, too far-fetched, and too incredible to just be a string of made up images floating throughout her head as she slept. She was also just too tired to still be asleep; she always felt awake and lively in her dreams, unlike her waking hours where she always felt rather drained. Sleep had never been something that came easy to her, even when Rashka, her dear direwolf friend, lay beside her on her bed. She always had too many thoughts on her mind, or too many feelings from others still whirling about her head, and they often wouldn't leave until it was early in the morning, and she was too exhausted to think or pay any attention to all that swirled in her head. The thoughts often came back just as the sun was rising though, and then she only had enough time to dress and ready herself for a long day of healing before she could either return to her room and write down what she could get out in one of the many ciphers that came to her like a second language, or put on her cloak and head to the tavern to listen to the stories told before the cycle repeated itself again. She loved to help people, to fix what ailed them and make them smile, but it drained her more than anything else did, and it didn't help that she rarely ever had enough energy to begin with. Healing spells were the most demanding ones there were, and while over time they didn't take as much energy to perform, they still had a heavy cost. It wasn't easy to knit the skin back together after a deep scratch, or to mend broken bones; it took hours, sometimes even a whole day or the entire night, and by the end it some times got hard for her to even breath, or speak because her voice had gone hoarse. One had to be so careful not to mess it up, not to get a single placement of a cell wrong, or to connect the veins and nerves back together in the wrong way, or else it would be damaged forever, and nothing could be done to fix it. One word could destroy it all, or even kill the one who needed the mend, or even the healer. It also wasn't the most comfortable thing for the one being healed either, it had a terrible itch to it, and sometimes even brought pain, and there was no way to ease it without a third party doing so by sending them feelings of calm, and if that happened, something usually went wrong due to the possibility of a single moment of losing focus. At least that wasn't a worry constantly pressing on her mind though, it was something she knew too well to mess up, something she had done too many times now to forget. She always made sure to be so careful no matter how tired she was, because she never wanted to harm another. If she was nothing else, she was a healer, and she would not bring anyone harm if she had a choice. That surprisingly wasn't what drained her most though; it was the more emotional side to it that brought her exhaustion. She poured all of who she was into helping people, she didn't know how to do anything else, and it wore on her more than anything else. Celesse had felt so many pass into the darkened void, stayed with her mind connected to theirs so they would not face death alone, and while she was nearly numb to it now, it still brought tears to her eyes, and tore into her heart like a sharp set of claws ripping at her chest. There was nothing worse than feeling the life drain from someone, seeing the light fade from their eyes, and when the rest of her energy, the rest of her went into doing all she could to heal everyone else's physical, mental, and emotional pains, the death is what broke her heart. They were the people she couldn't save, couldn't help, and all she could do was stay with them so they weren't alone during their last breath, or walk through the room in hopes it would bring them some feel of calm. She never let that hurt outwardly show though, she couldn't let that affect anyone else, and she was able to deal with it on her own, and write it down in a code no one else could understand. Her pains were not as important of those around her, not when she could heal them herself, and when another needed a shoulder more than she did. Helping people was who she was, whether it be mending what was broken or bringing them a smile and relief some other way, and she couldn't let her own feelings interfere with that, despite the great weight that caused her to carry.

xxxThe sound of her mother's voice pulled her from her thoughts however, and she turned to see both of her parents coming up the last few steps of the Los Tree, her father looking quite out of breath. He was young an agile for his age in terms of his elven half, but his human side was catching up, and he wasn't as spry as he once was, though she knew he'd still live quite the long time, and it was no where near time to say goodbye to him yet, which she was grateful for. She watched silently as her mother quickly came forward to embrace her, her family arms wrapping around her torso and pulling her in tight. Celesse returned the gesture, hoping she'd get to feel this again soon.
xxx"Were you going to leave without saying goodbye, Lesse?" Annarel scolded, a slight playfulness to her tone that was likely easier to detect than she meant it to be. "Of course not mumma, I would never." Celesse replied, a frown pulling down the corners of her lips. Her mother pulled back a few inches, her hands coming to lightly rest on either side of her daughter's face, and Celesse forced the smile to return, not wanting her mother to see her frown. The older woman searched her face, looking for any signs of doubt or fear, or anything that she felt could get her to stay, or at least that's what Celesse assumed that was. She knew that her mother did not want her to go, that she wanted her to stay, but she knew that her mother also knew that this was her job, what she was meant to do, and that if she kept her from that, there would forever be a hurt clouding their relationship as mother and daughter, and as a family. She let her face soften, trying to assure her mother that she was all right, and gently placed one of her hands over her mother's, leaning into the touch. I'm fine mumma, I promise. I'll be okay, I want to do this. Celesse reached out gently with her mind to send the thought to her mother, feeling her conscience lightly brush against that of her mother's. Annarel closed her eyes, hearing her assurance, and then opened them with a sigh. Her face had fallen, but Celesse knew that she was keeping a smile for her, keeping a brave face to remind her daughter to do the same. She felt her mother lean back in and touch her nose with her own, giving a light nudge before trailing up and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. Before she could pull her close one last time though, her father's voice pulled them from their moment, and her frown promptly returned as she turned her head to face him. "Are you sure of this Celesse? Are you sure this is not some trick? You know how no one else is fond of Prince Loki, they're said to hate him where you're going. How do you know you're not walking into a trap that's made for them?" Flavius had his arms crossed as he paced, the sounds of his boots making quiet thuds against the wooden floor. Celesse frowned, her head tilting as her brow furrowed and her lips formed a slight pout. That wasn't like her father at all, normally he was the one encouraging her to go, acting like a young and somewhat immature man that wanted to see his daughter experience the adventures that he had grown up living, to see the world he had. Normally doubting was her mother's job, normally their words would have been switched. Rashka took to greeting her mother as Celesse stepped away from the woman, and toward her father, her tail wagging excitedly as she reached a paw out to extend her hello, only to relieve a stiff pet in return; Annarel had never been too fond of the large wolf that essentially spent every minute with her child. Her hands came to rest in the air around the space where her ribs ended, and one faintly reached out toward her father before coming back to rest where it had. "They wouldn't do that, da. They wouldn't have asked if they only wished to set them up, and it's for the Captain's friend, who you know Heiley speaks highly of. She has not met the prince of the place I will be going to help, but I trust that he is a good man, the Avengers wouldn't put such trust in him if he wasn't." Celesse assured, reaching out again as she spoke and managing to catch her father's arm as he paced. He stopped and looked to her, searching every inch of her concerned and honest features for any trace of a lie. "Da, I promise I'll be fine. You know Rashka will keep me safe, and if you fear you can always scry me at any time. They are good people, I trust them. I will be safe." Celesse promised, trying to look as earnest as she possibly could. He scoured her face again, desperately trying to find any single thing that could give him reason to protest, but he found none, and Celesse watched as he gave a defeated sigh and allowed his arms to fall away from where they had been folded against his chest. He looked down silently for a few moments, before looking back up with a forced smile. She could tell he meant the bittersweet grin, but it was hard to display as he tried his hardest not to cry. "I-" He paused, struggling to form the words and convince them to pass his throat. "I know. I just, I-I don't want to lose you." Flavius confessed, and Celesse pulled him into a light hug. "Oh da, you won't ever lose me, I promise. You know I'll come back." Celesse wished there was more she could say, more she could do to ease his mind, but she couldn't think of anything else she hadn't said already. "I know. Be careful, and come home to us safe." Flavius took one of her hands in his own and gave a squeeze, another hope that she would do just that. She squeezed back, and touched her nose lightly to his before turning back to her mother, who was presently trying to ignore the large wolf asking for her love. Annarel stepped forward as her father made his way back toward the stairs, and took both of her hands within her own. "May Ni'vaa watch over you, Celesse." She murmured, touching her nose to her's one last time. "May Los keep you safe. I love you mumma, I'll come home soon." Celesse replied, watching as her mother slowly pulled away and followed her husband down the stairs with that final goodbye, leaving her and Rashka all alone on the top of the world.

xxxIt felt odd to be alone again, to know that this could very well be the last time she saw her home for years, with Rashka and all she had brought for them both being all she'd have of it for a long while. There was an ache in her chest at that, but there was also growing excitement. She'd get to see a new world, help new people and explore! She crossed her arms for a moment, only to be reminded of how strange it felt to not wear something long-sleeved, or have something cover her arms. Normally the outfit she wore- the training uniform she had managed to get- was accompanied by gloves and arm wrappings of a fake leather, but she had opted to go without those; she wanted to look as out of place when she arrived as she possibly could, and that certainly wouldn't help. The shirt she wore was gotten and colored gray, ending roughly at the start of her thighs with sleeves that only were only a little longer than half of her upper arm. On the front there was the elven sigil printed in black ink, a swirling tree with long roots and strong leafless branches. The pants she wore were a similar black, however they were made of a thicker material, and had trails of silver winding down, along with the same material wrapped around it in some places, and they covered most of the boots she wore upon her feet. She felt rather awkward in it in truth, and even somewhat uncomfortable and bare, but it was the best she had found in such short notice, and probably the most Earth-human clothing in Losmealia. Celesse had a feeling she didn't look the best in it either, but that didn't matter, and it was likely only brought on by how weird she felt in it. Hopefully one of the changes of clothes she had packed into Rashka's small saddlebags wouldn't be too out of place either, so she wouldn't be stuck wearing this most of the time. Apart from a few changes of clothes and her cloak in the right bag strapped to Rashka's side, she hadn't really brought much else in the left one. There was only her book, the large one with a faded cover and tattered trimming that she had written everything down in since she was a child, all of it in various ciphers with the key hidden somewhere on the page. Of course, unless someone knew the exact cipher she had used, the key wouldn't do much good. Along with her book, she had also brought along several vials of medicinal herbs and other things she thought might come of use or help during her stay, and a few tools like a mortar and pestle to prepare them should the need ever arise. She could heal without them of course, but they often made things less complicated and could provide other routes of treatment, and she felt better with them than without. Celesse had a few pens to write with and some sweetly scented soaps as well, along with a few other small items she opted to bring. There were a few elven treats Rashka enjoyed wrapped delicately in waxed paper so they wouldn't crumble all over the bag, which the white wolf thankfully had not yet noticed, or elf she would certainly be trying to rip the repurposed elk saddlebag off so she could get to her favorite snack and devour it. She had gotten the recipe for it as well, though she was unsure if Wakanda would have all that was needed to prepare them in the way her wolf friend liked.
xxxCelesse turned her attention to the sky then, after a few moments of quiet contemplation, wondering when the Bifrost would appear to send her. She didn't quite know how it worked, or what would happen and how exactly she would get there, but she had faith that Loki and Heiley would get her there in one piece, and that this wasn't some trap laid out for them by the Avengers like her father had expressed the worry for. She trusted this would all work out fine though, she had to. The woman known as Natasha, an experienced assassin, had contacted the two future rulers of Losmealia with a device they had given them in case of an emergency, and had explained to them the recent events. She hadn't been filled in exactly on what those were by the two, but she knew that one of them, the Captain, had a friend who was in particular danger and needed to get certain things out of her head, and she was the best one in Losmealia to take care of that. Her prince and princess had been too annoyed at their honeymoon in Asgard being interrupted to say much more than that and the name of man who ruled the place she would be going- Prince T'Challa Udaku- though, so she was still fairly confused about all of it and missing many important pieces she hoped they wouldn't mind filling in. She glanced down to see Rashka come to sit by her side, and smiled as she felt the large wolf lean against her. Rashka went up to roughly below her shoulder, and considering she was one of the taller elves, that made the direwolf more than just a little large. She was a gentle giant though, and Celesse was sure that unless something threatened her, the wolf wouldn't even dare hurt a fly. She lowered her hand to pet the direwolf's soft head, but before her fingers could even make contact with the silky fur that adorned her friend's form, a blinding light surrounded her, and she suddenly felt very sick and disoriented, and Rashka felt the same if her confused yelp was anything to go by. Her heart was pounding, and her mind raced as she tried to figure out what was going on. There was nothing around her but the light. Was this the Bifrost? It reminded her vaguely of how terrifying it had been when she first got her sight of auras at the age of two, and how blinding everything had all been, but she knew it was different.

xxxBefore the light had even finished and cleared, after what felt like an insurmountable amount of time that felt like mere seconds all the same, there was suddenly solid ground beneath them again, and the second Rashka felt it beneath her paws, she darted out from the light to say hello to and jump on a figure she could just make out through the blinding brightness. "Rashka, no!" Celesse cried, rushing after the large wolf as horror took hold of her chest, and a wave of freezing cold hit her with a surprising strongness. She didn't even get to see who Rashka had run to greet by placing her large paws on their shoulders before she was attempting to pull the wolf down and trying to hold the very excited canine in a sitting position until she was certain the wolf would not jump up again. A few panicked elvish words left her lips in a flurry as she told Rashka to stay, until a string of hurried and frantic apologies followed soon after, her mind rapidly trying to grasp what had happened so she could fix it before this turned into a disaster.
xxx"I am so very sorry, you have my sincerest apologies, I should have kept a better hold on her. She's not normally like this, I promi-" Celesse froze. Oh. He was quite handsome, and she quickly realized that he was also the prince. Oh no. She had looked up amidst speaking the words that hurriedly rushed from her lips, only to find herself quickly frozen, and looking straight up at the one man she especially needed to impress. Of course it was just her luck to have this happen to her, of course. "-se." Celesse paled as she quickly stood, gently pulling the large wolf back alongside her with the swift movement. Her companion, Rashka, had just jumped on the prince, the man she had been sent to help. How had she already managed to mess this all up? How had she already failed the one thing she was sent to do? He'd probably have her sent back, or worse, or, or- no, she had to compose herself, had to at least try and salvage the mess she had created. Gods, why did this already happen to her? Why?
xxx"Your majesty, I am so very sorry. I hope my companion and I haven't offended you." Celesse gave an awkward curtsey before straightening, her wide eyes finding it hard to leave his. Was she even supposed to bow? Was that an offense where he came from? Oh gods, she hoped not. She didn't want to offend anyone or mess anything up and she already had. She managed to tear her blue eyes away from him long enough to glance around. She spotted two other men, both fair skinned, blue eyed, and only a few inches taller than herself. One had dusty blond hair, and the other was a brunette, with a missing arm. Her heart sunk, concern briefly clouding her features. What horrible things had happened to him? To them all? They had to be Steve Rodgers, the Captain, and James Barnes, or Bucky. Both of them look tired, like they had been through hell. There was a woman too, dark skinned like the prince, with a bald head and intricate patterns tattooed where her hair would be. She didn't look as tired as all the rest, and if anything she looked rather fierce, and quite alert, as well as defensive of who she assumed to be her prince. She wasn't sure if the woman was a guard to him or the two other men, or a wife, lover, or something else, but whatever she was she did not seem too pleased about this. Celesse swallowed, and quickly looked back to the prince as the reluctantly remained standing at her side, straining to sniff them while her tail wagged fast enough to blur. With a start she realized she hadn't even introduced herself yet. Her cheeks quickly turned a dark shade of rose, and she stumbled to get the words she needed out once again. "O-oh! My name is Celesse, and the direwolf is Rashka. I do hope you don't mind that she has come with me; she has spent all of her days at my side and I couldn't bare to leave her back in the forest. I promise she will not cause anymore trouble, and that she will bring no one harm as long as she feels no one is a threat to me." Celesse let out a shaky breath as she finished, her hands clasping in front of her below her ribs as she hoped that the man would not notice the very obvious blush upon her cheeks. It had gotten easier to speak as she went on, but her voice had still been anxious and shaky, and she just had to hoped that they could see her words were true through the nervousness that had taken ahold of her. She tried to push her sincerity onto her face, but she had a feeling that it just made her look even more nervous, and her face fell at that. What was she doing? She was only making this worse, wasn't she? She bit the inside of her lip as she then took to searching T'Challa's eyes for any confirmation that she hadn't destroyed this all, not noticing that Rashka had gone quietly over to investigate Bucky and Steve. The Prince's eyes were dark and deep, with a certain warmth contained within, and a hardness and age trapped inside that only seemed to come from the wear of ruling. They were easy to get lost in too, a sight she could stare into for hours, but she couldn't, and she tore her gaze away. His skin was the most beautiful shade of dark brown, toned in wondrous ways she could describe. Atop his head were many short coils of black hair, and some matching facial hair adorned his jaw and chin, going in a thin arch above his lip. It was strange to see more than one man with a beard, or the start of one in the same vicinity; there were a good few handfuls of elves with darker skin- though she had a feeling they were quite different genetically-, while there had only ever been a very small few with any form of facial hair, less than the fingers on each of her hand, and one of them had only obtained it through magic. She noticed that he was wearing a suit too, but before she could examine it more a new worry filled her and her blue eyes widened, frantically searching for any signs of damage. Had Rashka damaged his suit? It seemed like it wasn't cheap, how much would it cost to repair if she had? Did that even cost anything here? She looked back up into his eyes, a thousand more apologies straining to leave her lips. "I hope that she hasn't damaged your suit. If she has, I would be more than happy to try and mend it." Celesse offered softly after she was certain she wouldn't say something stupid. She glanced away then, and shifted finding herself far too nervous all over again. She vaguely noticed that he was quite near to some sort of aircraft, and that there was snow on the ground too, but she forced herself not to think in that just yet. Both were things she had never seen or experienced before, and she could not yet afford to let her mind get so wrapped up in that and distracted until she knew this was all alright, that she hadn't already fumbled it all up and ruined it before it had even begun, that she hadn't just messed up her chance at helping Bucky heal.

Iris
Lovely Friend
Posts: 205
Joined: Mon May 14, 2018 12:50 pm

frozen | t'challa | ii

Post by Iris » Fri Jan 18, 2019 4:43 pm

Image
xxImage
While he may have been from Africa, it wasn't as if T'Challa was a stranger to the cold. The nearby mountains in which the Jabari inhabited were frigid, and while that wasn't where T'Challa lived, he wasn't a stranger to it's existence or the chilling temperatures that the outskirts of the mountains themselves presented. He had also spent years studying at Oxford, allowing him the experience of having actually lived in a cold climate. Yet, despite his prior experience with colder temperatures, none could have prepared him fully for the frigid air that he now found himself surrounded by. It was both bone-chillingly frigid and incessant, the air whipping as the wind gently lashed at the snow and the ice and everything in it's path. Such temperatures were easy to ignore when moving, and had been the very least of his concerns in the last few hours, but while tolerable under the cover and against the warmth radiating from the Wakandan aircraft behind him, the cold was still biting. Dark eyes shifting to the Dora Milaje general, the only non-enhanced individual among the group as it was in that moment, T'Challa's brows raised. "Okoye?" He asked, drained yet ever diligent.

The woman's face was a mask in front of the two strange American men facing them, and yet the familiarity the two shared told the prince of the state of things without even having to ask. Of course, that didn't deter Okoye from commenting regardless. In Xhosa, naturally, given their current company. "Ndilungile," the general was quick to assure, though an explanation was soon to follow."Andiyi khumbula ixesha lokugqibela ndabambelela kwindawo ebandayo." Not a complaint, of course- Okoye wasn't the type to complain about such things, and she hadn't been for as long as T'Challa had known the general, which was hardly a brief length of time by any measure. No, it wasn't a complaint at all, but rather a fact- a fact that T'Challa could absolutely understand and relate to.

The words brought a small tired smile to the amused prince's lips, eyes moving from the general to the sky above them for a moment before looking back to her. "Kungathatha ixesha elincinci lokulungiswa," he teased, his lips pulling up just a bit further at the way her brows knitted together skeptically as her eyes settled on him. Looking forward once more, T'Challa remained all but motionless as he watched the two men in front of him talk quietly among themselves. Even though T'Challa had no way of knowing the extent of the history between the two friends, had no way of knowing all that they had been through with one another, he was generally aware of the gist of it. Some was public knowledge. After all, Captain America was something of a major celebrity, given the whole saving the world and being a reported World War II war hero who had been frozen in time for the better part of the century. People had taken something of an interest in him and the relationships he had with others, and then there was James Barnes, his childhood best friend turned now-infamous assassin. People were interested, it was only natural, and with public interest often came a surplus of information. There was even a museum in honor of the Captain in New York, T'Challa had been told, though he had personally never visited it. Even beyond the public knowledge, T'Challa had access to enviable intelligence through his position in Wakanda, and had requested background from the Dora Milaje as he had began his pursuit of Bucky.

Yet, while he was aware of much more than he perhaps should have been given the extent of his interactions with the two men in front of him and the general nature of those interactions, just watching the two converse made the obvious even more apparent- it was impossible to gauge the extent of history and of the bond shared between the men. Perhaps it was odd, given that just hours ago the Prince of Wakanda would have done anything to kill the assassin who he had blamed for his father's untimely death, a loss that he still couldn't even hope to recover from in any foreseeable future. Yet still, all the same, as he watched the two men now it only made him even more sure of his decision. It was the riskiest option, the one that would take the most time and potentially the most pain, but it was the right option. It was the just thing to do, to offer Wakanda's aid to these men, to do what they could do to heal them and protect the man who was being sought out by the world in the last place that they would expect him to be, in the one place that had the best hope of aiding him in his recovery and path to becoming himself and free of outside and ill-meaning control once more.

T'Challa wasn't certain how long the four of them waited, T'Challa quickly losing himself to his thoughts as he stood there, but it was hardly as if they were left with a sense of uncertainty to question when their wait for their otherworldly addition would be arriving. Even in the brightness of the icy environment they were in, the light that suddenly appeared was blinding. Surprised by the sudden light that beamed in front of him, T'Challa winced, taking a step back and away from it. Yet, for as bright as the light had been and as strikingly sudden as it had appeared, it was gone within moments- less than that, even, more like seconds as if it had never even existed in the first place. It had, though, and before T'Challa could even properly see again, he felt a weight barrel in to him, his body tensing and instincts readying him to fight- really not in the most perfect of circumstances given that he had just traded his powerful black panther suit for a far more inconspicuous option- but ready all the same. Then...and then nothing, because as he blinked and stumbled back a single step at the weight of a creature pressing against his shoulder, his eyes seemed to finally be catching up to the situation that he was facing, and the situation was hardly what one might expect. It was a dog, or some sort of canine at least, and it was hardly trying to tear in to his throat and finish him off as some ferocious beast might. No, even with just a moment having passed, the realization of that not being the case was made abundantly clear.

Without time to contemplate, to reason or understand the situation further, he heard a voice calling out a name he didn't recognize, then a sway of blonde hair and then the animal was down. The oddly friendly seeming animal was down and in its place he saw her, and when he saw her, he felt himself freeze in place. She was unlike anything he had ever seen, as odd a thought as that was. It wasn't just that some part of him finally realized that the light must have been the transport of the healer that they were waiting for, and that in turn she must have been the healer and from a world he knew nearly nothing at all about. No, she was different, even in a way that expanded beyond that in which he could so easily explain. It wasn't that she wasn't who he was expecting, though she most certainly wasn't, and it likewise wasn't that she didn't have an appearance that he was accustomed to. He may have been from Wakanda, a nation in Africa, but it was hardly as if he had never seen someone with light skin or hair before in his lifetime. It wasn't any of that, though the part of her being from an entirely different world surely would have grabbed his attention on it's own even if for another reason entirely. No, it was something else entirely, something he couldn't explain that caused him to freeze as he did even before the beautiful woman began to flood the air between them with apologies, the sound of her gentle words bringing a small smile back to his face as he listened to her. Her name was Celesse, and from the sound of her words, she had already figured out exactly who he was. Celesse. It was a beautiful name. The offer to mend his suit if there were any need for repairs would have made him laugh if it hadn't seemed so completely genuine coming from her lips.

It was an immediately endearing site, something that didn't just mildly catch up off guard, but kept him in place as he listened to her until something else suddenly caught his attention. It was Okoye, standing to the side of the young woman, and he watched as she raised her spear in a defensive manner. Finally his eyes tore from the apologetic young woman, looking towards the general and raising a hand of caution towards her. "Okoye, kulungile. Kuphela inja," he assured. "Faka isikhali sakho phantsi."

The general's eyes darted from the woman to the prince. " 'Inja'?" She questioned, the skepticism deep in her voice. "Inkosana yam, akuyena inja."

T'Challa's eyes flickered from the general back to the foreign woman and her canine companion -Rashka, he reminded himself of the name she had referred to it as- before looking back to the general, pushing his hand forward slightly in a motion of persistence, of a rightful authority that deemed there to be no threat where the general saw one. Dog or not, whatever she had presented it as, it was no threat. Of course, one might call in to question his judgement when faced with such a disarming entrance, but he refused to believe that to be the case. There was no threat to be had here. With his order, the general gave a nod of her head before lowering her weapon.

"There is no need for that here," the prince began as soon as his eyes shifted back to the beautiful blonde woman, his expression soft and eyes lingering on her for a moment as he tried to assure her of the lack of offense taken before motioning to Okoye. "Likewise, I apologize for the caution."

The moment was quickly interrupted by one of the others in attendance, the blonde American soldier stepping forward and offering her his hand. "Steve Rogers, ma'am. We appreciate you coming out, we know it's a lot to ask."

T'Challa blinked at the addition to the conversation, his eyes moving to Steve as he continued to speak, then back to Celesse. After the American soldier had finished speaking, T'Challa nodded in agreement. "Yes, we are grateful," he added, the words directed towards their new arrival. She may have been there to help Barnes, a task that wasn't directly for T'Challa, but it was an honorable thing to do and T'Challa was nevertheless grateful that she had evidently agreed to help. "I am T'Challa," he added the introduction regardless of the fact that she seemed to already know that he was the prince of the group. "I hope you had a safe and comfortable journey. Now that you are here, if you would like to join us? We have a rather long trip ahead of us." Eyes moving back down to the dog -no, he was quick to remind himself in a nonsensically diligent focus on her wording, she had described the large animal as a direwolf- he suddenly realized he hadn't addressed the matter of her animal companion. "There will be plenty of room for Rashka," he assured the light-haired young woman, lips pulling up once more in to a small smile that was weighted by both emotional and physical exhaustion alike, yet was genuine in nature all the same.

"A gentle beast is always welcome in Wakanda, though I promise there will be no threat to you here that would warrant such a need for protection." Outsiders came in many forms, of course, and while it wasn't the Wakandan way to take any within the border, he was breaking tradition with the allowance of the Winter Soldier and Captain America, and certainly with the invitation to this woman from another planet. What harm would an animal be, then, especially one that seemed to lack viciousness? Of course Shuri or a member of the staff in her lab would probably insist on vaccinations upon arrival at the very least, T'Challa knew, and rightfully so- but he figured that was something that could be handled later. First, they would actually need to return to his home.

With that, he motioned for the group to enter. The inside of the Wakandan aircraft was rather different than the aircraft of any other nature. The vibranium that the company possessed allowed for such advancement, after all. It was open and more than just modern- it was futuristic by most Earthly standards. It was open and sleek inside, with advanced screens built in to the left side with a row of three large chairs spaced out in front of them to view and control the different stations that they provided. The vast majority of the interior was made of metal, with cool toned white light being provided by horizontal bars of lights on the inner walls of the ship at intervals of around a foot, though they varied. In the center of the spear shaped aircraft was a sleek metallic table like surface that stood only a few feet from the ground, and above it was a physical hologram of the environment currently outside of the aircraft as it sat. On the right side there were two more chairs facing the screens that made up the wall, and in the front was a single chair, quite unlike the others. T'Challa waited for the others to move in to the aircraft, walking in beside Okoye. The general was quick to move to the seat in the front to begin the process of taking them home, having the doors shut behind them, but not before giving another hesitant look at Rashka. T'Challa, on the other hand, looked to Celesse. "Please, do make yourself comfortable. It should be a few hours before we reach Wakanda, I'm afraid."

--

Translations-

Ndilungile.- I'm fine.

Andiyi khumbula ixesha lokugqibela ndabambelela kwindawo ebandayo.- I don't remember the last time I was stuck in such a cold place.

Kungathatha ixesha elincinci lokulungiswa.- It may take a brief period of adjustment.

Okoye, kulungile. Kuphela inja.-Okoye, it is fine. It is only a dog.

Faka isikhali sakho phantsi.- Put your weapon down.

Inja?- A dog?

Inkosana yam, akuyena inja.- My Prince, that is not a dog.


User avatar
76heart
Site Admin
Posts: 345
Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2018 8:19 pm
Location: winterfell

(☼) celesse, 002

Post by 76heart » Fri Jan 25, 2019 1:42 am

Image
ImageImageImage
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
xxxSnow, it was something see had never once scene before, at least, not until now, when it's blanket of white was almost all she saw of their surroundings, along with the grayness of the rocks beneath that managed to peak out from it's covering. It was mesmerizing in a way she only noticed through some hidden part of her mind as the rest of her was frozen at the sight of the man before her, like thousands of crystals had been ground into fine, powdery dust, and they each sparkled in the light of the sun, or all of the millions of stars clustered together in the sky, each brightly showing their light. It was beautiful, entrancing, dangerous, viciously cold, and yet she could feel none of it's threats to freeze, not while her world had become just a single man that stole the breath from her lungs and the words from her tongue, and pulled her in in her entirety, to focus on him. She should have noticed the cold surrounding her, the nipping chill, but she couldn't, not when for reasons she could not explain, she, and her world had frozen at the sight of the prince. She had seen many things, truly, horrible things that would make many lose their ability to form words and run, but she had never lost her words before, not even then. Nothing had ever made her freeze as she spoke, and never before had someone felt so inexplicably special, an different to her before, and not because of the reasons that should have been obvious. T'Challa had rendered her frozen, when it was meant to be the snow that would freeze her, and she could not even begin to explain why. The snow should have captured her attention, something she had never before seen, but it hadn't, and instead it was a handsome man who had claimed her gaze, when truly, it should have been the world of ice around her, and the increasing cold, especially, since she was very underdressed for a being who's kin had adapted to being cold to survive the warmth of their home, rather than being warm to survive the cold.
xxxThe Forest of Losmealia didn't get snow, it had never been cold enough for the water to freeze but many thousands of years ago, in the times of Shrelen and before, snow had been the elves' world; it had been all they knew. Freezing snow, powerful dragons, and the trees. Their home then, had been the lower half of Losmealia, below the Vaas River where there used to be a luscious forest, always shrouded in deep snow. Back then their skin had been white, a true white, exactly like the snow, with shades of red violet hues and those of blue to shade their skin. The Ancient Elves had camouflaged well, and their city in the winter forest had flourished well for thousands of years until it's end, and everything about them began to change when a dragon claimed the land in his tyranny and an elf they all thought had been lost returned with a special friend, their first two saviors. That home was now long gone however, left in ruined rumble of destroyed land, burned too many times by fire, by the dragons that had forced them to live in terror. There were rumors that there were humans beginning to settle it again, though she doubted their validity. They could not survive lifeless earth; they would need magic to breath life into it again, and a human learning to use their magic without the guidance of one already fluent in it's tricky ways was far too rare for that possibility to likely ever come to pass. The elves had abandoned it, and it would be very wise that the humans did too; that land was intrinsic with a time that brought nothing but sorrow, terror, and fear, and it was best that it be left to stay that way until the earth reclaimed it in thousands of years, lest it risk corrupting those who stayed far too long in it's burned, ruined midst. Very few things were left from that time, most purposely forgotten. All they had was the shambles of the language twined with their spells for them to slowly piece back together, and the memories and pain of a time that seemed to refuse to be forgotten, along with a god that still incited fear, even after his mortal end. There were a few other things, but they were very few, and much harder to find. The color of her hair happened to be one of the few things still left behind, though admittedly, hers was a bit blonder than all those who had worn the color of silvery white hair before her. Theirs was a stark as the white winter snow, as it had been in the time of the Ancient Elves, while hers contained the faintest of blonde hues, and had the appearance of being blonde in many certain lights. It wasn't blonde though, not quite; it was still white, very white, to the elves at least, and not at all blonde enough to be considered the fairly uncommon hair color amongst elves that was blonde. Regardless of how hers was closer to an off-white technically though, it was still considered white amongst her kin, a color that was so very rare, rivaled only by red in how rarely it appears, and now, a color that now only appeared in those descended from royalty. She however, was descended from the brother of Suiledir's father, Lord Iothormen, who's name had long since been lost to time, rather than the royal line, though that did have her close to royal, in a way. Should anything befall Los' line, and there were none left or able to take the throne, then the responsibility of ruling would fall to her, because Los would recognize the bloodline of the one she loved most, and the forest needed to have a descendent of Los, or in an emergency, a descendent of Iothormen's family, on the throne to rule to survive. Should anything happen to the forest, they would be the first to know, to feel the forest's pain, and they would be able to stop it in time, and by the time others felt it, it would be too late. That was why she would often hide her hair and features with her cloak's hood, and sneak away to the tavern's at night to hear the stories told within. If she went with nothing to hide herself, then no one would treat her genuinely as they did while she was doing her job as a healer; she had learned that the hard way. It was also part of why she so highly valued Rashka as a friend; the wolf never cared about any of that, or treated her any different because of who she was. Her reasons were genuine, true, and kind, and their bond was because they had grown together as close friend, and neither had ever truly known what life was like without the other right at their side, or near by to experience it, like Rashka was now, as she pulled herself out of her odd freeze and back into reality, and the wolf took it upon herself to turn the two other men into her newest friend. She seemed quite lively, livelier than normal, and if she paused a moment to think, it made a lot of sense. Heat and humidity could make things sluggish and tired, and sometimes a splash of cold could force the senses to wake, sharpened and alert, and ready after the sudden, cold attack. For Rashka, the snow and the cold that surrounded them was probably quite refreshing, especially after spending all of her years thus far in a warm forest that was never cold enough for snow or even dustings of frost, with her coat of thick, fluffy fur. She wasn't sure that the wolf had even yet recognized the presence of a colder temperature yet though; she seemed far too excited by all the new people to meet and faces to greet, and more than a little curious of their new surroundings, and a world she had never before imagined or seen.

xxxThere was a smile upon his lips as she spoke, hurriedly flooding the air with rushed apologies. It was a wonderful smile, no matter how small it was, and it was lovely to see upon his features. She so hoped that she would get to see it much more, and that it wasn't a rare occurrence she would have to be lucky enough to see. His smile made a grin want to form upon her own lips, and it filled her with a feeling that she couldn't quite describe, unlike anything she had ever felt before. Did that mean she hadn't ruined this already? That it would be alright? That nothing was terribly wrong? He gave no reply after she offered to repair his suit if the wolf had damaged it, so did that mean he, and his lovely tailored suit were fine? She found herself caught frozen in his presence once again as her eyes searched his features for a more definite answer, something invisible, something she couldn't explain holding her there, holding her still, and guiding her to get lost in his deep eyes, eyes that seemed to carry a weight and depth behind them that she could only hope to one day unlock the key to. When the man's eyes, his deep, beautiful, entrancing eyes tore themselves away from her, and he held up a hand, her gaze swiftly turned to follow his own, and she gave a jolt of surprise at the sight she had been greeted with. The woman she had seen before was standing to the side of her spear raised in a defensive manner. She swallowed. Her eyes flickered briefly back to T'Challa as he began to speak, her ears twitching at the use of a language she did not know, before they returned cautiously to the woman. She responded skeptically, which was understandable, and Celesse hoped that she had not upset her, or done something horrible, or put someone in danger. The woman- Okoye if she was correct in guessing that was her name from the words the prince had spoken- reminded her quite a bit of Heiley's grandmother, except Okoye, appeared to actually have a good heart, and not one corruption by foul dreams of power and envy and dark ambitions. Gwaeliel sought to place her daughter, Heiley's mother upon the throne, so she could rule after her father had given their crown away on a deal that would return it to their hands long after she had gone, while this woman seemed to only seek to protect the Prince. It made her feel assured in an odd way, to know that this man had such a fierce protector. Her gaze returned to him when she caught a movement again, that of his hand pushing forward lightly in a gesture she assumed to be of authority, and at the movement the woman gave a nod of her head, and lowered her weapon. Celesse couldn't help but let out a soft sigh of relief at that, and gave one final glance to Okoye before her attention fully returned to the prince. It seemed his had retuned to her as well, because he began to speak as soon as his eyes shifted back to her. She hadn't been able to truly appreciate it while she had been processing the surprising sight of a spear aimed at her, but his voice was just as lovely as he so far seemed to be, with an accent that she could easily say she loved, although the words he spoke sent a deep rose springing to her cheeks, and she gave a rather sheepish nod after he told her there was no need for that where they were, her cheeks only darkening. She would have begun to worry she had messed something up again if it wasn't for the softness in his expression. His eyes lingered on her a moment as he seemed to try and reassure her, before he motioned to Okoye, and her expression instantly softened. He didn't at all have to apologize for the caution, and her heart warmed at the fact that he had. It was fine, she understood it and the reasons for it completely, and took no offense to it, or anything similar. She knew that while Loki and Princess Heiley were well loved and praised within the Forest of Los, they were much less so here, especially Loki, who before meeting her, had destroyed much of one of their cities and caused an alien invasion that the man of iron had to stop. Anything involving those two on this planet, would likely be treated with a great deal of apprehension and even greater caution, and she was more closely connected to them that most, and along with that, part of her job as a healer was to get inside others' minds, to ease them, calm them, and to be with them in death so they did not go alone, and to someone on this planet, she imagined someone getting inside their head, no matter how benevolent the intention, was a terrifying prospect. Elves could force their way inside someone's mine and take control or kill them from within, they were experts at navigating through all parts of the mind, and some could even proficient enough to reach several at a time, and while entering someone's mind past brushing consciousnesses, or hovering in front of the mental gates that barred entrance to their mind, without their permission was strictly forbidden and the worst crime anyone could commit, it wouldn't stop people from worrying; she knew that. She was here to help the Captain's friend heal from the horrors he had been through, to help bring his memories back, and remove the dangerous triggers from his mind, for all they knew, she would get into their heads too. They didn't know her well enough yet to know that she would never do such a thing; she would never force her way into their conscious without their express permission first, and she would never mean them any harm. They didn't know that yet though, and what with Rashka having practically pouncing on the future Wakandan King, she could perfectly understand why the woman had been pointing her spear. She also knew that the elves would have done exactly the same, had their positions been reversed, though the elves also likely wouldn't have raised a hand and spoken them down; they were a bit more suspicious of outsiders, and even more protective of their forest; those not from it weren't even allowed to be within the forest for a single moment without an assigned guide, to assure everyone's safety. His caution was absolutely nothing to apologize for

xxxBefore she could do much more than open her mouth to begin a reply, to assure him that it was more than alright, and that she understood, however, the Captain walked over to them, stepping forward p, and offered his hand. She paused at that, the action catching her off guard. Was she meant to take it, shake it? Was this their way of introduction and or greeting here? Amongst the elves it was usually a respectful dip of the head, or gently touching noses in the platonic way it was done, and with the more royal elves, there was usually a kissing of the hand. Occasionally there would be kissing cheeks, but such a gesture tended to be reserved for their loved one, as to the elves, it was considered a sign of deep love and affection. Celesse regarded the outstretched hand with a mixture of curiosity and caution for a moment more, before gingerly taking his offered hand. She had heard of the custom of shaking hands before, was this what it was? She turned her attention back to him, as he began speaking and introducing himself, and offered a small smile in return, one that only widened when he finished, and T'Challa gave a nod, adding that they were grateful. She could feel her heart warm at that again, and her expression softened even more, into something sincere. "It's no trouble, I assure you. I want to be here, to help, truly, and we will always be happy to aid our friends on Earth, especially those of the Captain, our Princess speaks especially highly of you," Celesse assured, casting her gaze on them both, and then allowing her blue gaze to flicker fully to T'Challa. "as I'm sure she would of you as well, if she had met you." Celesse added softly, hoping that he especially knew that it truly was no trouble. She was a healer, it was who she was at her heart, at her core, at her soul. She of course hated to see people hurt, but helping them get better and healing their wounds, mental and physical, was what she loved to do. When becoming a healer she took an oath to ignore no injured soul that needed aid, no matter who they were or what they had done, and she was not going to turn down helping someone just because they were stars away. The Captain's friend had gone through more than she could even begin to imagine, and minds were suck tricky things. She had been told that his memory had been wiped, erased, but had begun to return when he saw his childhood friend Steve, the one who had meant the most to him in the entire world, that would take more than technology to fix; technology couldn't weave into his mind, and untangle the webs that held his memories back, and break the connections of the triggers those monsters had left in, or at least, she strongly doubted that it could do so as well as an elf. It would take time, but she didn't mind it at all, and with the technology of Wakanda and the magic she possessed working together, she hoped that the soldier would be alright again, and no longer afraid of his own mind, and himself. One's mind was their only true sanctuary, and to be scared of it, to feel trapped by it, could only be a nightmare that never ceased, a hell that rose above it's depths, something that no soul should ever have to feel. She wanted nothing more than to help however she could, to help him heal and recover from the horrors he had been through, that he would hopefully soon never have to live through again. He seemed like a good man, a man with such a truly good heart; he didn't at all deserve the fates he had been handed, and she wanted to help to help him however she could. She sent Steve another reassuring glance then; she knew how much this all meant to him, it was something she could feel, even without seeing his aura, and she hoped that it would help to ease the worries that undoubtedly plagued at his mind. She wished she could send him some feelings of reassurance, something to help him calm, but she knew now was not the time, for a plethora of reasons. She was sure that the Captain had already felt Heiley's presence in his mind, and knew about it it all and what it felt like, but she had not yet asked him permission if she could enter to help ease him, and now certainly wasn't the time for that either. Thankfully, before she could get too wrapped up in that, the prince spoke again, introducing himself this time, and she couldn't help but respond with a smile. "It is wonderful to meet you, T'Challa." Celesse told him, her smile growing a small bit as she spoke. She had already figured out that it was him, and that he was the prince, but she liked hearing his voice again, and it truly was beyond wonderful to meet him, and the others as well, but there was something especially special about T'Challa that she couldn't shake. That feeling of how special he truly was only seemed to increase when he spoke again, expressing that he hoped she had had a safe and comfortable journey, and then asking if she would like to join them now. She gave a nod to that, and straightened, and another more absentminded nod as he continued to say that hey had a long journey ahead of them. She had never really been on a long journey before, or really any journey at all, so she was curious as to what that would be like, and if she would get to spend it talking with T'Challa, if he of course warned that as well, because she would never want to force him into something. Celesse watched as his eyes trailed down to Rashka, who had returned somewhat near to her, as the wolf sniffed the ground near T'Challa's feet before looking up at him with her tail wagging. She couldn't help but smile at that, and then feel the grin grow as the man assured her that there would be plenty of room for her dear wolf friend. "I'm glad there will be, I wouldn't want anyone to be uncomfortable at being stuck too closely to her." Celesse glanced to Rashka again, who had already returned her snout to the ground, and then returned her blue gaze to settle on T'Challa. He smiled again, genuinely, though she noticed it was weighed by an exhaustion, and her expression fell to one of concern, with light eyebrows knitting together. She was reminded of the reason she was here then, and all of the things he, and the two other men, had gone through. Her instinct was to reach out with her mind, and ask if he was okay, and if he minded her sending him some energy, or strength, but she held herself back; she had just arrived, and he barely knew her, and magic, and entering his mind, were not things to jump into, or do without his consent, and there was not enough time for that now when they had somewhere to be, and he likely wanted to get out of the biting cold that was at least starting to nip at her skin. Before the nipping cold could really sink in it's bite however, his pleasant voice returned, and her heart swelled at the words. She had been worried about bringing Rashka here, if she would be accepted, or even allowed to come with her, and he had just eased them all within a few moments, and within the kind things he had said before. She would not take advantage of that kindness though, and she would make sure that Rashka didn't either. She sent him a warm smile, and then turned her gaze fondly to the large wolf, who was pawing at a small rock, sticking above the rest that was frozen to the ground, her claws scraping the ground around it, and leaving grooving marks to show where her sharp claws had been. Her blue eyes flickered back to T'Challa. "I am glad of that as well, and beyond grateful, and again, I do promise that she will be on her best behavior, and not harm a soul. She can help with things too, if she must earn her keep, or is causing trouble and needs to be kept busy. She gives elflings rides in the forest often, but I have a feeling that would not be received well here, at least for awhile." Celesse promised again, her cheeks beginning to heat up again at the end of her words. Now that she had had a few minutes to recover since arriving, and all seemed to be all right, it was much easier to speak, and she felt far more at ease. It also wasn't hard to feel safe and relaxed around the prince either; she trusted him completely, and with no other elves around, it was a relief to let up on the constant guarding of her mind. Of course, she unfortunately could never quite let that guard go. Due to her not being a full elf, with a human grandparent, her magic, like that of her Uncle Quig's, had been heightened above that of the average elf- when an elf had human parentage, their magic was either stronger than normal, or far weaker than normal, and her family, had a tendency to be stronger; it all depended on when they were first able to see auras-, and if she did not always have some control over it, her mind would reach out and she would hear things she was not meant to hear, and enter minds she was not meant to enter, and she never wanted to violate someone's thoughts and privacy like that now that she could. It had happened so often when she was little, too small to even realize what was going on or do anything to stop the thoughts that were not her own from coming into her head. It had been scary as a small child, and she had heard so many things that she was never meant to, and if she was able to prevent it, she wanted to, especially now that she was here, with three men and a woman, who had never had the proper training to guard their minds. She didn't want to do that to any of them, none of them should have to go through that.


xxxA moment seemed to pass, and then the prince gave a motion for their group to enter. Once she noticed that they had begun entering the Wakandan aircraft, Rashka swiftly returned to Celesse's side, and the young she-elf pressed her fingers to the wolf's soft side, her hand moving in symbols against her fur, a sign language of sorts that contained trained commands telling her to be careful and to behave, and to not touch anything she shouldn't. Celesse could tell that the wolf wanted to leap ahead and explore, but she was heeding her commands carefully for the moment at least, and for that she was more than a little relieved; a giant wolf bounding into a very unknown ship without her there to stop her was not something she at all wanted to encounter. Almost instantaneously after they had all entered the aircraft though with T'Challa and Okoye entering last beside each other, Rashka pulled away from her side and bounded forward to press her nose into the odd, seemingly magical projected map and diagram- she believed that it was called a hologram, this one being more physical, and not like an illusion that was only there and present in sight- of the winter ground below, and appeared to be very surprised and confused when her snout did not go through the environment's projected edge, and instead bumped into something hard, her head tilting and sniffing at it more than a few times. It was above a sleek looking table, of a very odd design and style she had never seen before, and the hologram seem to mesh well with it. The elves could do something similar in their own way with illusions, and they could use magic to create things so small, or identical, detailed replicas of much larger things; she had even seen a much older woman who's dark hair had turned gray, weave a tiny ship, with even the tiniest parts included, out of grass with the most beautiful magic, and then breathe life into if with a simple spell, and bring it truly to life with a mere push toward the sky sending it sailing through the air and upwards to the clouds and canopy of ancient tree leaves, all while she had been in the healer's hut, and fading from age, but it was nothing like what she saw before her, which was so incredibly new in every way. The elves had never had a need or use for such a thing, as they could almost always see their surroundings no matter the thickness between, as long as some form of life was continued within, but this technology intrigued her greatly nonetheless, and she wanted to know more about what it was, as she did with all of the unfamiliar pieces of technology she had seen thus far, and all that she would see. Now was not the time for that though, that could come later, after she had been there awhile, and earned their trust. At least until then, she could admire the marvels they had created, and learn what she could until there was enough trust in place to be told. Slowly, her eyes rose from the miniature imitation of the landscape beneath, and when she looked past the hologram that resided on the odd looking table only a few feet high, she noticed the rest of the craft, and took a moment to take it all in, her blue eyes scanning the unfamiliar world surrounding her of metals and power. All of it was very sleek and open, and modern in design, and certainly incredibly very futuristic. It wasn't anything at all like the elves had or ever would create, although that didn't at all make it unpleasant, it instead made her even more curious. The elves preferred smaller spaces, filled neatly and cleanly with things, a warm and welcoming feel, with many plants and critters around, and this aircraft, which she now realized was shaped like a spearhead, was almost exactly the opposite as to what she was used to. It was closer to the healer's hut or the throne room than anything else, where they were empty and clean, and without many items within unless they were needed. Beneath the map and it's table, there was a design that looked geometric, or something similar to it, yet another thing the elves certainly didn't have. There were what she assumed to be called screens towards the front on either side, with chairs before them, and she couldn't even begin to guess what they would do. It was all very new, none of it was familiar, and a device to fly was most certainly not. The elves didn't exactly have the best experiences with the creatures that rules the skies with fire in their breaths, and none of them, except for an odd few, had ever desired to soar the skies. They would much rather keep their feet upon what was anchored to the ground, with their plants, and their trees. There looked to be a raised bench lining the side of the aircraft, slightly raised to the height of a seat, that appeared to be where passengers were meant to sit. She didn't know quite what to call it, as the elves had nothing even remotely similar that could possesses a similar or matching name. The closest thing she could think of was a bench that had been sung from the side of a tree, or perhaps even a counter, that would hug the walls of the curving tree. She knew that most certainly wasn't what it would be called though. It seemed to be made of interesting woods, with rings that were much brighter than the rest, and there were cushions on the very edge, and higher up on the matching backing. Above there were horizontal white lights between matching panels of the same wood that appeared to wrap around the entirety of the shop, stopping at the window in the front. Rashka had already hopped up on a seat, and then back down, and was not eagerly watching Okoye as she was quick to take a seat at the very front. It seemed as if she was going to be the one to pilot them home. She seemed to do something to cause the doors to close, but not before looking giving another hesitant look to the white wolf, who merely wagged her tail happily in response. She took a step further into the aircraft, and turned her attention to T'Challa, just as he seemed to look to her. It was hard to keep the blush from creeping up onto her cheeks. She wasn't quite sure what to do when he told her to make herself comfortable, as she did not want to touch anything and risk damaging something, but when he continued on to say that it would be a few hours before they reached Wakanda, she bit the inside of her lip, and folded her arms. She sat down on the bench rimming the aircraft carefully closer to it's edge than where most people would likely sit, her form a bit stiff and awkward, and her mind very unsure as to is this was okay of her to do. She hoped that it would be alright, and that she hadn't just done something to greatly upset or offend them all. Celesse shifted slightly, her legs close together, knees bent, and angled slightly to the side, because she was just the tiniest bit too tall to sit on the bench comfortably with her legs stationed directly in front of her without stretching them out a bit, which she had never been fond of doing. She felt too exposed in a way when she did that, and that feeling only seemed to intensify now as she wore clothes she didn't really feel comfortable in, and was surrounded by others she did not know. Of course, she could just sit further back on the seat, but somehow that felt worse to her. She could also sit with her knees pulled up to her chest, but it seemed a bit rude to put boots on someone else's seat cushion. That was a pose that closed her off, and she did not want to give these people the impression that she was blocking them out, or not open to them. She stayed silent for a moments then, biting her lip, before turning to him again, eyes sincere, and her posture a bit more relaxed than it had been before, as her mind returned to his apology, and how she had never gotten the chance to say that it wasn't necessary, and that it was alright. She shifted to look at him better, and then took a gentle breath, relaxing even more. "Your apology for the caution, earlier, it's- it's alright, you needn't apologize for it. I understand it completely; I know Princess Heiley, and her husband, Loki, are not exactly seen well here, and Rashka didn't quite, well," Celesse's cheeks had heated up then, and she gave a soft, quiet cough, as if she were clearing her throat. "give you a normal greeting. I'm also here to use my magic, and help remove awful things from Bucky's mind, which I'm sure will spark much more caution and uncertainty, if not fear or worry. If there is anything I can do, to ease it, or questions I can answer, I will happily do them, and answer all that I can, the last thing I want is for anyone to be uncomfortable with me being here, or afraid." Celesse assured softly. She hoped that he could hear how sincere she was, and that she hadn't instead made things awkward or anything like that. She just really didn't want him to worry that he had offended her, or that he would offend her in the future with more precautions, especially if they involved Rashka, because she had not at all been something they could have possibly predicted showing up from that blinding light that took her here. Rashka. Rashka. Her head turned almost a bit too quickly to find her, and when she spotted the wolf she let out a soft sigh. She reached out with her mind, calling the beast back to her side when she noticed the rather large wolf getting a a little too close to Okoye while she was in a position, one not unlike meditation, that she was almost certain required focus, and likely a delicate and careful touch with nothing like a cold, wet dog nose to the side as Celesse had been speaking with the prince. Rashka returned to her within the moment, sitting before her and a bit to the side, tongue lolling as she panted happily, her tail hitting the young elf's boots and dusting the floor below while her hands weaved their way into the soft fur on either side of her shoulders, gently holding her close. The wolf was about the same height as she was while sitting on the bench, but she was quite used to that being the case; they often sat like this together, and it was nice to have a large, fluffy wolf right there to hug and bury her face into after a draining day of healing, though she wasn't going to do that here.
xxxAgain Celesse fell silent for some moments, sitting still, just thoughtfully running her slender fingers softly through Rashka's fur, before turning to the man again, some question clearly pressing at her mind that just couldn't wait to come out. "Could, could I ask what language you were speaking before, though? And is there anything I should or shouldn't do when we arrive? I do not wish to offend anyone." Celesse questioned a bit sheepishly after a moment of gathering courage, her blue eyes searching his dark ones. There really was something special about him, there truly, truly was, and she so wished that she could explain what this was, and why whenever she looked at him, he felt so very different, yet beyond incredible, and so very special all the same.

Post Reply